(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Col. (ret.) Dr. Jacques Neriah - Ali Reza Tavassoli, the Afghan Shiite commander of the "Fatimiyoun Brigade" in Syria and one of the most important pro-Tehran militia leaders, was killed in Dera'a on Feb. 28. Tavassoli was appointed by Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the "Quds Force," part of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The brigade draws its members from Persian-speaking, Shiite Afghani refugees living in Iran belonging to the Hazara people, Afghanistan's third largest ethnic group. This is the first mention of Iranian-trained, -armed and -sponsored regular Afghan units fighting in Syria. The writer was formerly Foreign Policy Advisor to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Deputy Head for Assessment of Israeli Military Intelligence.
2015-03-04 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive